Kelly McBride, who heads the ethics faculty at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., a school for professional journalists, said transparency is crucial with these types of arrangements. Sponsored content must be labeled as such, and readers must have a way "to find out the details of the sponsorship," she said. News organizations also must maintain complete control over what is published, she said.
Each section will carry a staff box noting the Register's editorial control and that the universities are the primary advertisers, Brusic said.
In a recent article and at an earlier meeting with the newsroom, Register officials said the universities would be primary advertising sponsors of the sections, but did not spell out terms of the agreement.
UCI's Carlson said she "certainly saw value" in sections that will spotlight campus activities and less popular sports that get little media attention at present.
"We look at it as a marketing opportunity," she said.
Jeffrey D. Cook, Cal State Fullerton associate vice president for strategic communications, said the new section would highlight his school's role as "an intellectual and cultural hub" and economic driver.
"The university has been preparing for some time to increase its investment in paid advertising as part of enhanced community-outreach efforts, and the Orange County Register will be one of the forums in which advertising has and will continue to appear," Cook said.
Mark Woodland, Chapman's vice president for strategic marketing and communications, said he is "thrilled" by the prospect of Register articles about "outstanding faculty and hidden gems of programs that otherwise wouldn't get covered."
Faculty and staff will suggest stories and provide "press material" to the Register, he said, predicting a collegial working relationship.
"Clearly, it's in the newspaper's best interest to keep the arrangement hospitable," he said.
kim.christensen@latimes.com
